Disposable surgical scalpel blades are commercially available in several sizes and styles. In use, the blades are supplied by various manufacturers in sterile packaging and are attached to a reusable handle having a tang on which the replaceable blade is mounted. The handle is sterilized between uses and the blade is discarded. Frequently several blades are fitted on the same handle during a procedure as they become dull or contaminated or as a different size or style of blade is needed.
To remove the blade from the handle, the heel of the blade is pried away from the tang with fingers or with a pair of forceps. This task is usually assigned to an operating room nurse. When the scalpel is wet, the forceps or the nurse's fingers may slip and she may be accidentally cut. Not infrequently, the blade will break and fly across the room and each blade (or its parts) must be accounted for before an incision is closed. The dangers associated with these problems are evident.
A number of devices have been proposed for removing a scalpel blade from a handle. Some of the prior art devices are sized for use with a particular size or style of blade and hence require stocking a number of different devices to handle the range of blades normally used during a procedure. Others cannot be used in a surgical field because they are so mechanically complicated that they cannot be readily sterilized. Those which provide storage are usually designed to hold a number of blades which complicates accounting.
In view of the above, there is need for a simple device for removing a wide range of different sizes and styles of scalpel blades that can be readily sterilized, facilitates the removal of the blade with increased safety and provides a reliable method for accounting for each blade.